Planning West Lothian...2 Welcome to West Lothian Council’s seventh Planning Performance Framework...

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Planning West LothianPlanning Performance Framework 7 . Annual Report 2017/18

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Welcome to West Lothian Council’s seventhPlanning Performance Framework Report, covering the year between April 2017 and March 2018.

West Lothian Council’s planning service strives to provide an excellent service to local residents and investors in West Lothian, in a time of increasing financial pressures on the council. The central focus over this past year has been to improve our processes and procedures, to utilise the full benefits of technology to provide a service which is interactive, customer focused and agile, responding to the needs of our customers.

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Cont

ents

1 Qualitative Narrative and Case Studies 42 Supporting Evidence 453 Service Improvements 464 National Headline Indicators (NHI) 485 Official Statistics 516 Workforce Information 537 Planning Committee Information 53

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1 Qualitative Narrative and Case Studies The council’s seventh Planning Performance Framework (PPF) reflects on the progress and performance of the service over the financial year 2017/18. It responds to the issues identified in PPF6 and the performance markers report from the Scottish Government and looks ahead to the challenges and potential for improvement over the next year.

2017/18 in focus:

West Lothian Council achieved a Scottish Award for Quality in Planning for its planning guidance on Health Impact Assessments, and was shortlisted for two other projects,

The Report of Examination on the Local Development Plan was issued

919 applications were determined, with a 96% approval rate

96%

Raising Awareness of West Lothian’s Heritage – Conservation Area Information leaflets

Automated Task Driven Paperless Development Management

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Enforcement cases

319362

rECE

IvEd

Clo

SEd

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

6dECIdEd

AlloWEd 3

local review Body

20 15 10 5 0

dECIdEd

AlloWEd

NEW

19210

Appeals

including

5

Case

Stu

dies

1 Aldi regional distribution centre Mahlon Fuatua

2 Council housing Wendy McCorriston/Tony Irving

3 Winchburgh Wendy McCorriston

4 local development Plan Steve Lovell

5 Partnership centres Ranald Dods/Mahlon Fuatua

6 Process Ross Burton

7 Enforcement process Claire Johnston

8 Contributions tracke Mark Brooks

9 Member training Ross Burton/Claire Johnston

Case Study TopicsIssue

covered in PPF7

Place Standard

Performance Monitoring

Process Improvement

Project Management

Skills Sharing

Staff Training

Online Systems

Transport

Active Travel

Other: Member engagement


covered in PPF7

Affordable Housing

Economic Development

Enforcement

Development Management Processes

Planning Applications

Interdisciplinary Working

Collaborative Working

Community Engagement

Placemaking

Charrettes


covered in PPF7

Design

Conservation

Regeneration

Environment

Greenspace

Town Centres

Masterplanning

LDP & Supplementary Guidance

Housing Supply

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DELIvERING A QuALITy SERvICE

Throughout the past year Planning Services has retained a strong commitment to providing a high quality service, against a background of financial constraints. The team has, in recent years, had to withdraw from some of the services that it has traditionally offered, such as the provision of general planning advice, whether on the acceptability of a proposal or information on permitted development rights. West Lothian Council took a decision, two years ago, to withdraw from much of its traditional direct contact with the public and replace this with web-based contact backed up by a 24-hour call centre. The service has continued to engage actively with the call centre, with managers meeting regularly to discuss issues, and regular training for call centre staff being provided by planning staff. Initial issues with misdirected calls and lack of knowledge of planning issues by call centre staff have been dealt with by the above process, and the system now works well.

The paid for pre-application service which was introduced last year has continued to prove popular with applicants, with some requests for the service focusing on a meeting rather than the offered written advice. A recent request, for example, saw a pre-application meeting taking place about a proposed development at Bangour Hospital, a large (90 ha) site with a number of listed buildings, involving agents for the applicant, representatives from Roads, Environmental Health and Flood Safety, as well as representatives from Historic Environment Scotland. The applicants were happy to pay a fee for the meeting as opposed to a written response, although a formal note of the meeting was provided (evidence item EV 1).

https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/10863/Pre-Application-Enquiry

Case Study

Aldi regional distribution Centre ExpansionQuALITy OF OuTCOMES

1

7

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Case Study Title J4M8 distribution Park – Aldi regional distribution Centre Expansion

location and dates Bathgate – Planning in Principle Granted in 2013 (ongoing)

Elements of a High Quality Planning Service this study relates to (please select all that apply)

Quality of service and engagement•Quality of outcomes•Governance•

Key Markers (please select all that apply) 1, 2, 12

Key Areas of Work (please select/delete all that apply, as appropriate)

• Design• Environment• Greenspace• Masterplanning• LDP and Supplementary

Guidance• Economic Development

Development•Management ProcessesPlanning Applications•Interdisciplinary Working•Collaborative Working•Placemaking•Performance Monitoring•

Process Improvement•Project Management•Skills Sharing•Online Systems•Transport•Active Travel•

Stakeholders Involved (please select/delete all that apply, as appropriate)

Local Developers•Key Agencies•

Authority Planning Staff•Planning Committee•

overviewAldi Stores Limited is investing heavily in Scotland to secure continued growth and future proof its business in Scotland. As part of this, Aldi sought to expand their existing regional distribution centre at the J4M8 distribution park creating a 196,000 sq ft storage and chill facility.

Goals

Partnership working with internal staff in particular Economic Development as the•development would create more than 200 jobs.Coordination of environmental reports between the site and wider distribution park.•Management of workload•Planning judgement•

outcomes

Application for a major development processed within statutory timescales•Stopping up order progressed to committee and notification to ministers in Summer 2018•Work is to start in Summer 2018 and due to be completed by 2020.•Balanced approach between material planning constraints and requirements from other•stakeholders

Name of key officer Mahlon Fautua

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ALDI REGIONAL DISTRIBuTION CENTRE ExPANSION (Case Study 1)

Aldi Stores have a regional distribution centre at the council’s J4M8 distribution park. The West Lothian Local Plan identified and safeguarded the distribution park for classes 4, 5 and 6 (Policy EM 6 of the WLLP); this has been identified in the Local Development Plan as a specialist site, dedicated to class 6 (distribution uses) only. The success of this, and the park’s access to the heart of the motorway network has seen Aldi seek to expand the building to 196,000 square feet, potentially adding 200 jobs to the 470 existing. The building will serve all of Aldi’s 78 Scottish stores and will also contain office space to house Aldi’s Scottish headquarters. Planning staff have worked with colleagues in Economic Development, Flood Prevention, Transportation and Environmental Health to ensure that the new facility is located in West Lothian, bringing benefits to local employment and adding to the success of the distribution park. The determination of the application within the timescale and the working partnership with Transportation to ensure the stopping up took place timeously were insrumental in giving Aldi the certainty it required in deciding to invest in West Lothian.

Case Study

Council Housing QuALITy OF OuTCOMES

2

11

12

Case Study Title Council housing

location and dates various, ongoing


Quality of outcomes•Quality of service and engagement•



• Design• Regeneration• Environment• Greenspace• LDP & Supplementary

Guidance• Housing Supply• Affordable Housing

Economic Development•Development•Management ProcessesPlanning Applications•Interdisciplinary Working•Collaborative Working•Community Engagement•Placemaking•

Place Standard•Process Improvement•Project Management•Skills Sharing•Active Travel•Other: staff development•


General Public•Local Developers•Key Agencies•

Planning Committee•Authority Planning Staff•Authority Other Staff•

overview West Lothian’s council house building programme has seen development at a number of sites, resulting in 214 houses completed in 2017/18 with a further 599 under construction.

Goals

The planning service engaged at an early stage with the council’s Housing, Transportation, Environmental Health, Building Standards and Flood prevention services, and with the housing developers who were engaged in construction of the houses. A multidisciplinary approach was taken, with benefits to the smooth running of the ambitious build programme.

outcomes The houses built and occupied have proved popular with the new residents, and the new developments are indistinguishable from new build housing for sale on the open market.

Name of key officer Wendy McCorriston, Tony Irving, Ross Burton, Mahlon Fautua, Lindsey Patterson

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COuNCIL HOuSING (Case Study 2)

A joint working approach has been used in the council’s housebuilding programme. Working groups met frequently at each stage of development, from discussing potential sites to final handover. The working groups include officers from housing, planning, building standards, flood prevention, transportation, operational services and environmental health within the council, and representatives of the private building firms who have been contracted to build the houses. The meetings proved instrumental in setting and maintaining a steady pace of development, addressing and resolving any issues as they have emerged. In 2017/18 124 houses were completed, and a further 599 are under construction. The next phase of sites is coming forward in 2018/19 and this year will see them progress while the previous phase is competed. Planning continues to be involved in forward planning for future phases, and is represented on the project board (EV 2).

93%

responders are happy with the location of the house

83%

responders are satisfied with the external apperance of their home

responders are satisfied with its internal layout93%

user surveys carried out by the council suggest the approach has resulted in developments which are proving popular with their residents.

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PRIvATE HOuSING

Development continues at the Core Development Areas (CDAs) and other strategic housing developments within the county.

At Heartlands in Whitburn there are now approximately 200 units occupied with a further 300 units consented or under consideration. The restoration from previous open casting on the site is virtually complete and there has been significant progress in terms of landscaping, footpaths and infrastructure in the last 12 months. The approach of regular progress meetings and the community liaison group continues to work well at Heartlands (and other major projects) allowing early engagement with developers and the community and a discussion forum for problems and issues that arise.

The Calderwood development will see 2,300 new houses developed; by March 2018 289 houses had been completed, and the second phase of housebuilding is well under way. Work has started on the infrastructure to support phase three, and Bellway and Taylor Wimpey will be on site in the near future to begin that phase of housebuilding.

Winchburgh CDA is approaching its 500th house completion and now has a new town centre, which is discussed below.

Case Study

WinchburghQuALITy OF OuTCOMES

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15

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Case Study Title Winchburgh Town Centre

location and dates Winchburgh, West Lothian 2015-18


Quality of outcomes•Quality of service and engagement•Culture of continuous improvement•



Design•Environment•Town Centres•Masterplanning•Affordable Housing•Economic Development•

Interdisciplinary Working•Collaborative Working•Community Engagement•Placemaking•Planning Applications•


General Public•Local Developers•Key Agencies•


overview The development of the first phase of a new town centre in Winchburgh has been a crucial element in the overall place making for the settlement expansion of Winchburgh.

GoalsThe main goal for the settlement expansion was to ensure that commercial, leisure and community facilities were developed alongside and became complimentary to, the ongoing housing and that the new centre would be of a high quality design and finish.

outcomes The occupation of the 501st house is now approaching; 2017 saw the opening of a Sainsbury’s store, the completion of four other commercial units, and a small civic square.

Name of key officer Wendy McCorriston, Principal Planner

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WINCHBuRGH (Case Study 3)

The development of the first phase of a new town centre has been a crucial element in the settlement expansion of Winchburgh. Early on in the planning process planning officers promoted the development of attractive and accessible commercial, leisure and community uses alongside housing as fundamental to the success of Winchburgh as a place where people will want to live.

The planning permission in principle which was granted in 2012 required the first phase of a commercial centre to be in place prior to the occupation of the 501st house. The main goal for the settlement expansion was to ensure that commercial, leisure and community uses were developed alongside, and became complementary to, the ongoing development of housing. It was also important that as the first “town centre” to be developed in West Lothian in over 50 years – since the development of Livingston town centre – that the buildings and environment were of a high quality.

The occupation of the 501st house in Winchburgh is now approaching and 2017 saw the completion of a Sainsbury’s local store and four other commercial units in a small civic square, with well planned, high quality, hard and soft landscaping and parking. The development of the wider town centre is continuing with the construction of 93 Affordable Housing units, half by the council and half by a housing association.

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The development of the centre has begun to attract other businesses seeking to develop there, including a children’s nursery which obtained planning permission this year for a new, bespoke nursery building. Joint working between council officers and the overall developer’s master plan team has ensured that the first phases of the town centre have achieved a consistently high quality of design and materials.

The high standard of design, attention to detail and quality of finishing materials have encouraged other developers working in Winchburgh to strive to match that quality. Bellway Homes and the private nursery provider mentioned above, for example, have both agreed to take on board the design features and materials that were achieved as part of the first phase. This approach will continue in later phases as the development of the town centre progresses, with the intention of giving Winchburgh an attractive centre which will help the new settlement attract new residents. This is essential to the creation of a thriving community and to the creation of place.

Case Study

The local development PlanQuALITy OF SERvICE AND ENGAGEMENT

4

19

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Case Study Title The local development Plan

location and dates various, ongoing


Quality of outcomes•Quality of service and engagement•Governance•Culture of continuous improvement•

Key Markers (please select all that apply) 7, 8, 9, 10


• Design• Conservation• Regeneration• Environment• Greenspace• Town Centres• Masterplanning• LDP & Supplementary

Guidance• Housing Supply• Affordable Housing

Economic Development•Enforcement•Development•Management ProcessesPlanning Applications•Interdisciplinary Working•Collaborative Working•Community Engagement•Placemaking•Charrettes•

Place Standard•Performance Monitoring•Process Improvement•Project Management•Skills Sharing•Staff Training•Online Systems•Transport•Active Travel•Other (please note)•


General Public•Hard to reach groups•Local Developers•Key Agencies•

Planning Committee•Authority Planning Staff•Authority Other Staff•Other (please note)•

overview A description of the activities which have taken place during the case study period.

Goals A description of how the case study aimed to contribute to the wider goals and outcomes of the planning service.

outcomesA brief description of what the case study has demonstrated so far and any follow up work which will take place because of it. If the project is still underway please note what is still to be completed.

Name of key officer Fiona McBrierty/Steve Lovell

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THE LOCAL DEvELOPMENT PLAN (Case Study 4)

2017/18 saw the end of the process of the preparation of the Local Development Plan (LDP), which began in January 2011 with a ‘Call for Sites’ exercise which resulted in more than 200 submissions. The council assessed the development potential of the proposed sites against a series of environmental and infrastructure constraints, as well as considering potential sites against the merits of others identified in the current Local Plan which had not yet been developed.

The Main Issues Report (MIR) was published in June 2014, which (1) focused on the key issues that were changing from the current West Lothian Local Plan and (2) set out general proposals for development in the area to stimulate debate. An eight week consultation period, launched in August 2014, was the key stage for engaging with the public and consulting on the content of the new plan. During the consultation period council officers organised and participated in a number of public events and on its conclusion more than 250 representations had been received.

The representations were published on the council’s web site, reviewed by officers and reported to elected members and helped inform the next key stage in the process, the production of the Proposed Plan in October 2015.

The Proposed Plan set the land use framework and contained key policies and proposals to guide development and investment in West Lothian over the next 5-10 years and beyond, and to provide the basis upon which planning applications would be determined.

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The identification and selection of development sites in the Proposed Plan were influenced by considerations about matters such as accessibility and the relationship to transport infrastructure, and the availability and capacity of infrastructure, particularly in the school estate. The focus was also consciously on allocating sites that embraced derelict or brownfield land rather than greenfield, and increasing density on existing allocations in order to concentrate development in locations where infrastructure had already been committed.

Thereafter, the Proposed Plan was the subject of a six week consultation period and attracted in excess of 1,260 representations under 192 separate issues and from more than 700 parties.

In October 2016, having considered the content and substance of these representations, the council chose not to make any further amendments to the Proposed Plan. Formal responses to unresolved objections formed part of the

package submitted to the Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) for Examination. For administrative reasons, the examination was, however, not formally confirmed by DPEA as having commenced until January 2017.

During this period the council responded to more than 40 ‘Further Information Requests’ from the Scottish Government appointed reporters which sought to clarify or expand on particular matters which were under consideration. The examination process was primarily conducted through the electronic exchange of documents and supplemented with some unaccompanied site visits.

The ‘Report of Examination’, was published in December 2017. The report concluded that there should be no changes to approximately half of the almost 200 ‘Issues’ which were considered while the remainder were subject to modifications of varying degrees, many being changes of a relatively minor nature (wording, emphasis etc.) and primarily designed to provide greater clarity or consistency with either Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) or the approved Strategic Development Plan (SDP) for South East Scotland.

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One of the most significant conclusions of the Report of Examination was that the LDP did not identify a sufficient amount of effective housing land in order to meet the housing supply target set by the SDP for 2009 – 2019 and this underpinned many of the modifications, not least the Reporters' recommendation that land for an additional 1,500 new houses should be allocated on nine sites across West Lothian . At the same time however, almost 1,300 houses were removed from the plan (largely for reasons allied to perceived non-effectiveness). Another notable conclusion was that there was an excessive provision of employment land in the LDP Proposed Plan and that this could be more usefully re-purposed for housing use.

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Recommended modifications made by Reporters are essentially binding and Planning Authorities do not have the ability to reject a modification simply because they disagree with it. While there is provision, in specific and prescribed ‘exceptional circumstances’, to take issue with a modification, there were no grounds for doing so in this instance and at a meeting of the Council Executive in March 2018 it was agreed to adopt the plan as modified. Following this decision, the process of notifying Scottish Ministers that the council proposed to adopt the plan was initiated on 5 April and confirmation that it can proceed is awaited. It is anticipated that the West Lothian Local Development Plan will be adopted in late summer 2018.

Case Study

Partnership CentresQuALITy OF SERvICE AND ENGAGEMENT

5

25

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Case Study Title Partnership Centres

location and dates Linlithgow, East Calder, Blackburn


Quality of outcomes•Quality of service and engagement•Governance•

Key Markers (please select all that apply) 2, 3, 10, 12


Design•Regeneration•Town Centres•Placemaking•

Interdisciplinary Working•Collaborative Working•Community Engagement•Project Management•


General Public•Hard to reach groups•Key Agencies•

Authority Planning Staff•Authority Other Staff•Community Groups•

overview The Partnership centres have become valued community assets

GoalsThe Partnership Centres developed over the past year contribute to the continuing programme of development of Partnership Centres across West Lothian, as an essential part of the integration of council services within communities.

outcomes The developments followed established joint working partnerships between different parts of the council to ensure that they were delivered on time.

Name of key officer various

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PARTNERSHIP CENTRES (Case Study 5)

The year has seen a number of developments completed which were trailed in last year’s report: the Linlithgow Partnership Centre and East Calder Partnership Centre both opened successfully in 2017/18 and have become an essential part of the fabric of their communities. Blackburn Partnership Centre is set to open in June 2018; this will be the sixth partnership centre in West Lothian, rolling out a successful model which sees libraries, the council’s Customer Information Service, and community services sharing buildings with health services and Police Scotland. Different parts of the council have worked in partnership to deliver these centres; working groups of officers from housing, planning, building standards and operational services met regularly to ensure that any issues were quickly identified and resolved.

https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/linlithgowpartnershipcentre

https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/eastcalderpartnershipcentre

https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/blackburnpartnershipcentre

Case Study

ProcessGOvERNANCE

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29

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STARTPlanning

Application received online?

Create new record in Acolaid

NO

Record information related to fees

received & bank cheque

Pass application to Central Admin Team

for scanning

Scan all documents received into the

system

Cross reference all scanned documents with paper file ensuring that all scans are readable of good

quality and there are no missing pages

Write down the 5000 number on Application Form

Data from ePlanning transferred directly to Acolaid & 5000 is

generated

YES

Validation ProcessPlanning

Application Valid?

Request additional/missing information by using

standard items & letter template

Application to be plotted on

Corporate GISYES

Re- check on Consultees

YES

Neighbour Notification data to be captured &

saved as a pdf in Idox (NN List & Plan)

Re - check on Description

Allocate Planning Officer

Review scanned document to ensure

accuracy

Site Visit (3 weeks from validation)

All consultations returned?

Follow up with any outstanding

consultations

File Consultations & Representations received

(if QTY is large contact Support Services)

YES

Contact Applicant updating on

application status

AdditionalInformation orAmended Plans

needed?

Send request toApplicant/Agent

YES

Assess receivedinformation

Re- Consult orRe-Notify? Wait for response Response

received?

Any objections?

NO

Refusal?NO

Delegated List

YES

Create DraftDecision & draftHandling Report

Stamp planselectronically &place in Idox as

sensitive

Notify SeniorPlanning Officer

Sr PO agreed withPO’s decision?

Save Decision Notice &Handling Report in Idox (mark

both document as Public)YES

Advise applicant/agent/objectors of decision being

available online (if postal QTYlarge contact Support Service)

FINISH

Speak with PlanningOfficer directly

NO

Call in?

DECISION TO BEISSUEDNO

Put on CommitteeAgenda Draft Report

Pull togetherattachments for

Committee Report

Create CommitteePlans

Committee Report &attachments to besent to Committee

Services

Committee Meeting ApplicationDecided?

YES/NO

NO

YESNO

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

YES

DATA LABEL: INTERNAL ONLYFINAL VERSION 04-07-2016

Support Services

Technical Team

Central Admin Team

Planning Officer

Senior Planning Officer

RECORDING – INTERNAL TARGET: same day (1 working day)

VALIDATION – INTERNAL TARGET: next day (2 working days)

SCANNING – INTERNAL TARGET: next day (2 working days)

Record the following:

Applicant DetailsAgent DetailsSite Address

Received DateApplication Date

Description of proposal as on form Index scanned documents into Idox File

(redact and mark sensitive as appropriate & use naming convention)

Key 5000 number (to be found on the Application Form)

into the system

Download application through

XML Gateway

Review and rename document type within IDOX DMS (redact and

mark sensitive as appropriate & use naming convention)

Additional Information Received?

If not received within 21 calendar

days issue a reminder (monitor & chase required

information)

NOResponse Received?

Consider Application as

withdrawn & refund fees

NOMark off received

documents in Acolaid

YES

YES

Initial Assessment

Request Missing Information

Further Assessment based on

consultations & comments returned

PermissionGranted?

YES

Issue Com. Lettersto Representees (ifQTY large contactSupport Services)

Issue a site visitletters to members

(Monday AM)DM Manager

Speakers list to bepulled together (if

needed)

Documents to be manually transferred to Idox by using

initial 5000 reference number

ELECTRONIC RECORDING – INTERNAL TARGET: same day (1 working day)

NO

Create and Post the following:- Acknowledgement Letters

- Consultation Letters - Neighbour Notification Letters

Enter Neighbour Notification

addresses into Acolaid

ISSUING LETTERS – INTERNAL TARGET: next day (2 working days)

PERCENTAGE OF INITIAL ASSESSMENTS CRITS SENT

OUT

Decision Notice Issued

Send an email notification toCentral Admin Team of decision

being issued

Conduct ‘FileCleansing’

Check description, red line boundary and consultations

2

1

3

45

6 7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14 15

17

1621

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

20

18

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PROCESS (Case Study 6)

In July/August 2017 Planning Services upgraded its software system for registering, monitoring and tracking planning applications and building warrants, and enforcement complaints. The dip in performance while the new system was installed and existing information was migrated was expected, and planned for. Customers’ expectations were managed by personally targeted communication and messages on the website and no complaints about delays were received.

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STARTPlanning

Applicationreceived online?

Create new record inAcolaid

NO

Record informationrelated to fees

received & bankcheque

Pass application toCentral Admin Team

for scanning

Scan all documentsreceived into the

system

Cross reference all scanned documents with paperfile ensuring that all scans are readable of good

quality and there are no missing pages

Write down the5000 number onApplication Form

Data from ePlanningtransferred directlyto Acolaid & 5000 is

generated

YES

Validation ProcessPlanning

ApplicationValid?

Request additional/missinginformation by using

standard items & lettertemplate

Application to beplotted on

Corporate GISYES

Re- check onConsultees

YES

Neighbour Notificationdata to be captured &

saved as a pdf in Idox (NNList & Plan)

Re - check onDescription

Allocate PlanningOfficer

Review scanneddocument to ensure

accuracy

Site Visit (3 weeksfrom validation)

All consultationsreturned?

Follow up withany outstanding

consultations

File Consultations &Representations received

(if QTY is large contactSupport Services)

YES

Contact Applicantupdating on

application status

Additional Information or Amended Plans

needed?

Send request to Applicant/Agent

YES

Assess received information

Re- Consult or Re-Notify? Wait for response Response

received?

Any objections?

NO

Refusal?NO

Delegated List

YES

Create Draft Decision & draft Handling Report

Stamp plans electronically & place in Idox as

sensitive

Notify Senior Planning Officer

Sr PO agreed with PO’s decision?

Save Decision Notice & Handling Report in Idox (mark

both document as Public)YES

Advise applicant/agent/objectors of decision being

available online (if postal QTY large contact Support Service)

FINISH

Speak with Planning Officer directly

NO

Call in?

DECISION TO BE ISSUEDNO

Put on Committee Agenda Draft Report

Pull together attachments for

Committee Report

Create Committee Plans

Committee Report & attachments to be sent to Committee

Services

Committee Meeting Application Decided?

YES/NO

NO

YESNO

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

YES

DATA LABEL: INTERNAL ONLYFINAL VERSION 04-07-2016

Support Services

Technical Team

Central Admin Team

Planning Officer

Senior Planning Officer

RECORDING – INTERNAL TARGET: same day (1 working day)

VALIDATION – INTERNAL TARGET: next day (2 workingdays)

SCANNING – INTERNAL TARGET: next day (2 working days)

Record thefollowing:

Applicant DetailsAgent DetailsSite Address

Received DateApplication Date

Description ofproposal as on form Index scanned documents into Idox File

(redact and mark sensitive as appropriate &use naming convention)

Key 5000 number(to be found on theApplication Form)

into the system

Downloadapplication through

XML Gateway

Review and rename documenttype within IDOX DMS (redact and

mark sensitive as appropriate &use naming convention)

AdditionalInformationReceived?

If not receivedwithin 21 calendar

days issue areminder (monitor& chase required

information)

NOResponseReceived?

ConsiderApplication as

withdrawn & refundfees

NOMark off received

documents inAcolaid

YES

YES

Initial Assessment

Request MissingInformation

Further Assessmentbased on

consultations &comments returned

Permission Granted?

YES

Issue Com. Letters to Representees (if QTY large contact Support Services)

Issue a site visit letters to members

(Monday AM)DM Manager

Speakers list to be pulled together (if

needed)

Documents to be manuallytransferred to Idox by using

initial 5000 reference number

ELECTRONIC RECORDING – INTERNAL TARGET: same day (1 working day)

NO

Create and Post the following:- Acknowledgement Letters

- Consultation Letters- Neighbour Notification Letters

Enter NeighbourNotification

addresses intoAcolaid

ISSUING LETTERS – INTERNAL TARGET: next day (2 workingdays)

PERCENTAGE OF INITIALASSESSMENTS CRITS SENT

OUT

Decision Notice Issued

Send an email notification to Central Admin Team of decision

being issued

Conduct ‘File Cleansing’

Check description,red line boundaryand consultations

2

1

3

45

6 7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14 15

17

1621

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

20

18

19

The new software allows for enhanced performance monitoring by case officers and managers, and a system of ‘traffic light’ alerts aids that process. The introduction of the new software was used as an opportunity to redesign our processes, using critical path analysis to create process maps for the registration, processing and issuing of planning applications, building on previous years’ success in greater use of digital technology to create an entirely paperless system for determining planning applications. As part of this shift to a paperless system all DM officers have been issued with tablets for site visits. The council is also an active participant in the Government’s digital transformation project; the council is a member of the Government’s Digital Taskforce which is driving proposals for a national verification process.

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Case Study Title Process

location and dates Development Management


Quality of outcomes•Quality of service and engagement•Governance•

Key Markers (please select all that apply)


Development•Management ProcessesPlanning Applications•

Performance Monitoring•Process Improvement•Staff Training•

Stakeholders Involved (please select/delete all that apply, as appropriate) Authority Planning Staff• Authority Other Staff•

overviewThe service’s software for registering, processing and issuing applications has been updated, and the processes followed have been reviewed and improved, leading to better outcomes for the service and its customers

Goals The remodelled processes and practices have improved the service to our customers and improved the effectiveness of planning staff.

outcomes

The processing time for applications has fallen and the service to our clients has improved in terms of delivery of the final decision notice. The service now has a culture of continuous improvement, with staff actively engaged in reviewing processes with a view to improving them when possible

Name of key officer Ross Burton

1, 6, 13

Case Study

Enforcement Process – designing a new enforcement system

GOvERNANCE

7

33

34

Case Study Title Enforcement Process

location and dates Development Management


Quality of outcomes•Quality of service and engagement•Governance•Culture of continuous• improvement

Key Markers (please select all that apply) 1, 6


Environment•Enforcement•Development•Management ProcessesLevel of service•Staff Training•

Collaborative Working•Performance Monitoring•Process Improvement•Project Management•Online System•


General Public•Elected members•


overview The receipt, processing and tracking of enforcement complaints has been redesigned and digitised.

Goals The redesigned service is intended to be more customer friendly and responsive, and to offer an improved service to the public.

outcomes The performance indicators for the service show a marked and sustained improvement.

Name of key officer Claire Johnston

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ENFORCEMENT PROCESS – DESIGNING A NEW ENFORCEMENT SySTEM (Case Study 7)The introduction of the new software mentioned under the previous case study also gave the an opportunity for wholesale redesign of the council’s enforcement service. The reception and processing of enforcement complaints was mapped and inefficiencies were identified (EV 3). The revised process was also designed to be more interactive, directing members of the public to a bespoke interactive form on the council’s website. The new uniform system allows for greater oversight of cases, by the case officer and manager; it generates traffic light style reminders which have proved an effective way of ensuring a continuing high level of performance. Two new management level Performance Indicators (PIs) have been introduced, one of which measures the percentage of new cases visited within the timescale set out in the Charter (10 working days) and another which measures the percentage of cases closed within four months. In 2017/18 this figure was just over 50%, due to the continuing backlog of cases (over 700 at the start of the process) which the team was dealing with. This figure is expected to better the target of 70% in the following year, when the backlog will be largely cleared (EV 4).

The software allows the team to scrutinise the detail of the latter indicator, and to examine the reasons for case closure - no breach, breach resolved, take no action, application submitted. The team actively encourages applications as a way of resolving breaches. uniform can link applications and enforcement cases, which enables the fees generated by the submission of an application as a result of enforcement action to be quantified. In 2017/18 £21,996 was generated as a result of enforcement action; in the first three months of 2018/19 the figure was £8,610, giving confidence that the eventual figure for the year will be higher than the 2017 figure.

Cases visited within timescale

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

2017/18 54%

2018/19 70% target

Application fees generated by result of enforcement action

0 5000 10000 15000 20000

2017/18

2018/19

£21,996

£8,610 (Q1, 2018/19)

https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/2080/Planning-Enforcement

55%

site visits carried out within 10 working days in 17/18

54%

cases closed within 4 months in 17/18

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A critical part of the new process has been managing the expectations of elected members, and encouraging them to buy into the new reporting system. To do this, specialised enforcement training was offered to all members. The training was aimed particularly at newly elected members of the council, but on the day almost all members of the council attended. The training was well received and the feedback was positive. This was followed by training for members’ support services, which, following open discussion about their specific requirements, resulted in the creation of a bespoke reporting form for members to use (EV 5), which ensures that the team has all the information required to investigate and report back. The engagement of members’ support staff has been crucial to the success of the redesigned service; previously the enforcement team had received frequent emails from members, via their support teams, which did not have sufficient information and which were followed, sometimes very rapidly, by requests for updates. Members’ increased level of understanding about the enforcement process and the timescales involved has led to a more efficient service which is proving beneficial to both the enforcement team and the elected members.

Fee Income from applications subject to enforcement action:

£21,996

Case Study Contribution Tracking

GOvERNANCE

8

37

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Case Study Title Contribution Tracking

location and dates Civic Centre (and Midlothian Council); 2017



Key Markers (please select all that apply) 2, 4, 6, 12, 15


Affordable Housing•Economic Development•Development•Management ProcessesPlanning Applications•Collaborative Working•

Process Improvement•Project Management•Skills Sharing•Staff Training•Online Systems•

Stakeholders Involved (please select/delete all that apply, as appropriate) Local Developers• Authority Planning Staff•

Authority Other Staff•

overview A new electronic tracking system for developer contributions has been developed and established, by West Lothian and Midlothian Councils

Goals To track contribution payments better and improve the timeous issuing of invoices.

outcomes

The project will reduce the risk of contributions not being paid on time and will ensure that all contributions are correctly allocated when received. It will improve certainty for the developer and will ensure that infrastructure which will be funded by the contributions is in place at the required stage of the development.

Name of key officer Mark Brooks

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CONTRIBuTION TRACKING (Case Study 8)

The scale of development pressure in West Lothian puts a considerable strain on infrastructure, particularly the educational estate. Consequently, developers are required to fund improvements and extensions to schools, and the provision of new schools where required. The financial contributions required from developers are subject to supplementary guidance and are typically secured by a legal agreement, under Section 75 of the Planning Act. The council is in the process of introducing a new system, Exacom, for tracking developer contributions, and for ensuring that contributions for different projects are given the appropriate financial coding. It will also allow a contributions officer to generate invoices when required for phased contributions, removing that task from case officers.

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Total completions of new build council houses in 2017/18: 124

Under construction: 599

Case Study

Member TrainingGOvERNANCE

9

41

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Case Study Title Member Training

location and dates Civic Centre, various dates





Development•Management ProcessesCollaborative Working•Other: Member•engagement

Process Improvement•Staff Training•Online Systems•

Stakeholders Involved (please select/delete all that apply, as appropriate) Elected Members• Authority Planning Staff•

Authority Other Staff•

overview Elected members have been offered specialised training sessions on matters such as material considerations, reasons for refusal and the enforcement process.

Goals The exercise is aimed at increasing members’ knowledge of planning legislation, practice and procedures.

outcomes

Elected members have a greater understanding and appreciation of planning legislation, material considerations and the enforcement process. The inclusion of members’ support staff in the training, and the discussions which came from that training, has resulted in the creation of a bespoke members’ enforcement reporting form, which all members, through their support staff, now use. Members and their staff are also now aware of the timescales for investigation and response and accept them.

Name of key officer Claire Johnston

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MEMBER TRAINING (Case Study 9)

The council elections in 2017 saw 12 new elected members joining the council. In line with Government advice all were offered training which covered the basics of the planning system and was well received. In addition to this, following discussion with members, more specialised training was offered, in enforcement (see case study 3) and material considerations. The latter was delivered by a planning lawyer from an external source and covered reasons for refusal, with particular reference to material considerations and the test of reasonableness.

The training has proved invaluable in ensuring the smooth running of the Development Management committee and will be repeated in the future as circumstances call for it. Members are now open to the idea of refresher training taking place continuously, and attendance at the more targeted sessions has been excellent.

Extracts from Members' enforcement training

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CuLTuRE OF CONTINuOuS IMPROvEMENT

Delivering an effective enforcement service

An effective enforcement service is vital if the council is to meet its obligations for safeguarding the environment and protecting the amenity of local residents. It is also an important element in the public’s perception of the effectiveness of the planning system generally. The redesign of the enforcement service described in Case Study 7 coincided with the employment of a Modern Apprentice to carry out administrative tasks such as monitoring the enforcement email inbox, registering new cases, and sending out standard letters/emails such as acknowledgments and case updates/closing. This and the improvements from the process mapping exercise and new software, has dramatically improved the functioning and performance of West Lothian’s planning enforcement service.

Improvements put in place in 2016/17 such as interactive reporting forms were followed in 2017/18 by the rollout of these to members (EV 5). New performance indicators have been introduced, including one which measures the number of days between the reception of a new case and the initial site visit (EV 4). Against a service standard of 10 working days, the service carried out an initial site visit within the target in 54% of cases in 2017/18; in 2016/17 the figure was 40%. The increase in performance across the last three years is even more pronounced when the number of cases closed within four months (service level agreement) is compared: 2016/17 – 44% of cases; 2017/18 - 62%. Fully staffed, with revised procedures which make full use of digital technology, the planningenforcement team is able to offer an improved, high quality service to West Lothian residents.

The improvement journey that started with the formation of the current team is set to continue; we are currently considering the introduction of a new service, whereby applicants would be able to obtain a certificate of completion on request, giving confirmation that all conditions attached to their consent have been discharged. This is likely to be a charged service; if it proves popular it could generate a significant amount of staff time and the additional funding raised might be used to fund a new member of staff, full or part time, to ensure that the team’s other targets do not suffer.

One aspect of the service which does not operate as it should is taking direct action. While the team has proved effective in resolving most of the breaches which it deals with, either by the submission of a planning application or by remedial action, some cases can only be resolved by taking direct action. At present there is no budget identified for this, and efforts continue to remedy the situation, although in a time of extreme financial constraint this is proving difficult.

https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/2080/Planning-Enforcement

https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/10812/Planning-Enforcement-Complaint-Form

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2 Supporting EvidenceThe items of supporting evidence for the service improvements outlined in this document are referenced throughout the document. Uptake of the new charged pre-application service, mentioned in PPF 6, is the subject of the first piece of evidence, EV 1; the focus on partnership working, as practiced to ensure the delivery of the council's house-building programme, is the subject of EV 2; improved processes for applications and enforcement cases are evidenced by EV 3 and the result, in terms of performance, by EV 4. The culture of continuous improvement, using the examples of an improved member reporting form and procedure and changes to the scheme of delegation, are evidenced by EV 5 and EV 6, which also demonstrates a commitment to benchmarking. Other benchmarking tools the service uses include: the Knowledge Hub, Heads of Planning (Development Management) meetings; the enforcement officers’ forum.

The service strives to work in active partnership with other parts of the council and external agencies. Heads of Development Management and Building Standards meet the Business Development Manager to discuss applications of mutual interest and business proposals which might become applications; the enforcement service has a working partnership agreement with Police Scotland, members of the Development Management team attend team meetings of Business Development staff, and the planning service’s involvement in the partnership approach to the council house building programme has seen regular attendance at planning and board meetings.

The full list of appended evidence documents, referenced in the text of this report, is:

EV 1 - copy of the meeting note from the Bangour pre-application meeting EV 2 - copy of a minute of a council housing working groupEV 3 - enforcement process mapsEV 4 - Enforcement Service Performance Indicator chartsEV 5 - copy of members' enforcement complaint formEV 6 - scheme of delegation benchmarking results

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3 Service ImprovementsIn the coming year we will:

1 Adopt the Local Development Plan

2 Following adoption of the LDP, revise all our Supplementary Planning Guidance

3 Introduce a contributions tracker for developer contributions, and consider expanding it to other legal agreements

4

Introduce a new process for dealing with contaminated land consultations. We will use uniform to link requests for contaminated land assessments issued by Development Management and Building Standards, to avoid duplication and potential confusion between the two systems. As part of this we will map the process and take the opportunity to make other improvements to it.

5Introduce a new planning condition approval service, possibly as a charged service, which will offer developers a ‘completion certificate’ for conditions attached to their planning permission.

6

Improve and update our processes (using process mapping) for monitoring conditions on new-build housing developments, using uniform to track new house completions, helping our enforcement team to become more pro-active in monitoring conditions, and working in partnership with Building Standards, Flood Prevention and Environmental Health in monitoring pre-commencement conditions.

7 Introduce a revised scheme of delegation.

8 Review and revise our guidance on submitting planning applications.

9Improve our procedures for legal agreements attached to planning permissions, by producing a standard template, pre-populated with the appropriate developer contributions, for sending to the applicant with the ’minded to grant’ letter.

10Continue to be actively involved in national projects, such as the Government’s proposals for a digital transformation of the planning process.

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Delivery of our service improvement actions in 2017-18:

Committed improvements and actions Complete?Fixed Penalty Notices for enforcement

Evidence from benchmarking is currently being gathered, and discussion with the council’s financial services on•implementation is ongoing

No

Complete transfer to UniformTransfer occurred in July 2017. uniform is now used by Development Management, including enforcement, and•Building Standards

yes

Implement revised scheme of delegationA revised scheme has been drafted, but discussion is ongoing following an extensive benchmarking exercise•The completion of the scheme has been delayed pending the forthcoming legislation changes•

No

Develop and implement new ways of engaging with different customer groups about finished product/placeA survey has been undertaken with colleagues in Housing Services to gauge customer satisfaction with the new•council houses occupied in 2017/18 The service is considering ways to roll out this kind of survey to other developments•

Partly

Introduce procedure to avoid applications going over 12 monthsRevised ‘traffic light’ notifications are in place which facilitate greater levels of scrutiny by officers and managers•Greater use is being made of extension of time agreements with applicants•

yes

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4 National Headline Indicators (NHI)The National Headline Indicators (NHI) are a detailed list of work programme information that each planning service needs to collate in-house. They are designed by HOPS to allow for ongoing measurement of performance. The template below allows for 2016/17 and 2017/18 to be recorded in a consistent format. Additional guidance on completion is included within the template itself.

Please note that some of the indicators have been removed, adjusted or redefined from previous years.

A: NHI KEy OuTCOMES - DEvELOPMENT PLANNING

development Planning 2017-18 2016-17Local and Strategic Development PlanningAge of local/strategic development plan(s) at end of reporting periodRequirement: less than 5 years

9 years and 5 months

8 years and 7 months

Will the local/strategic development plan(s) be replaced by their 5th anniversary according to the current development plan scheme? N N

Has the expected date of submission of the plan to Scottish Ministers in the development plan scheme changed over the past year? y-later y-later

Were development plan scheme engagement/consultation commitments met during the year? y yEffective Land Supply and Delivery of Outputs Established housing land supply 24,763 units 25,143 units5-year effective housing land supply programming 7,853 units 8,854 units5-year effective land supply total capacity 21,704 units 23,391 units5-year housing supply target 6,238 units 6,062 units5-year effective housing land supply (to one decimal place) 6.3 years 7.3 yearsHousing approvals 604 units

Housing completions over the last 5 years

units2017 – 5972016 – 8842015 – 7752014 – 615 2013 – 523

units 2015/16 – 9642014/15 – 7672013/14 – 7972012/13 – 8672011/12 - 1057

Marketable employment land supply 214 ha 527 haEmployment land take-up during reporting year 93 ha 14 ha

884 units

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B: NHI KEy OuTCOMES – DEvELOPMENT MANAGEMENT

development Management 2017-18 2016-17Project PlanningPercentage and number of applications subject to pre-application advice 1.8% 4.7 %Percentage and number of major applications subject to processing agreement 0 % 0 %Decision MakingApplication approval rate 93.8% 92.1%Delegation rate 95.1% 95.3%validation 97% 63.21%Decision-making TimescalesMajor Developments 63 weeks 30.8 weeksLocal developments (non-householder) 9.8 weeks 11.8 weeksHouseholder developments 6.5 weeks 5.6 weeksLegacy CasesNumber cleared during reporting period 13 13 Number remaining 72 -

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C: ENFORCEMENT ACTIvITy

2017-18 2016-17Time since enforcement charter published / reviewed Requirement: review every 2 years

months months

Complaints lodged and investigated 319 216Breaches identified – no further action taken 30 66Cases closed 369 507Notices served 38 51Direct Action 0 0Reports to Procurator Fiscal 0 0Prosecutions 0 0

D: NHI KEy OuTCOMES – COMMENTARy

Commentary : the council’s enforcement team is now established, using improved processes and software, and the KPIs show a continuing performance which we expect to continue into 2018/19The enforcement process has been overhauled, using process mapping and lean management practices. It is now delivering an improved service to West Lothian residents, and the service will continue to improve.Reasons/factors which have influenced performance and any increase/decrease : the redesign of all the processes, the training and buy-in of elected members and their support staff, and the increase in the team numbers to three - a planning officer, enforcement assistant and admin assistant - have all played a part in the improvement to the service. The importunities which new technologies have brought to improve communication and make the customer/council interface easier to navigate for our customers has also been crucial.

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5 Government Official StatisticsScottish Government Official Statistics are drawn from quarterly returns by planning authorities. They are collated into an annual set of figures that is published on the Scottish Government website. The template below allows the information from these returns to be recorded in a consistent format. Additional guidance on how to access the statistics is included within the template itself.

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A: DECISION-MAKING TIMESCALES (based on ‘all applications’ timescales)

Timescales 2017-18 2017-18 2016-17OverallMajor developments 6 63 weeks 30.8 weeksLocal developments (non-householder) 282 9.8 weeks 11.8 weeks• Local:lessthan2months 78.2%• Local:morethan2months 21.8%Householder developments 295 6.5 weeks 5.6 weeks• Local:lessthan2months 5.6 %• Local:morethan2months 12.5 %Housing DevelopmentsMajor 3 113.4 weeks 32.8 weeksLocal housing developments 54 15.3 weeks 18.4 weeks• Local:lessthan2months 42.6%• Local:morethan2months 57.4%Business and IndustryMajor 1 5.7 weeks n/aLocal business and industry developments 49 6.9 weeks 8.5 weeks• Local:lessthan2months 79.6%• Local:morethan2months 20.4%EIA Developments 0 n/a n/aOther Consents • Aslistedintheguidance(right) 127 5.8 weeks 4.5 weeksPlanning/legal agreements• Major:averagetime 3 113.4 weeks 60.7 weeks• Local:averagetime 21 28.5 weeks 33.8 weeks

Staff Age Profile Headcountunder 30 730-39 440-49 550 and over 6

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6 Workforce Information Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4

Chief Executive Director Head of Service ManagerHead of Planning Service 2 (sharing management tasks, in acting capacity)

RTPI Qualified Staff Headcount FTEDevelopment Management 6 5.5Development Planning 9 8.5Enforcement 2 1.8Specialists 3 2.5Other (including staff not RTPI eligible) 2 2

7 Planning Committee Information Committee and Site visits Number per yearFull council meetings 13Planning committees 13Area committees Committee site visits All sitesLocal Review Body 6LRB site visits All sites

Planning West Lothian...2 Welcome to West Lothian Council’s seventh Planning Performance Framework...

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